Well I finally did it. I finally fell and didn't manage to protect my rod. My new Sage, too boot. The rod is not broken, thankfully, but it has suffered some cosmetic flaws to say the least. My concern is that these scratches are not only in the finish, and that the structural integrity of the has been compromised. Is there any way to tell if the rod needs to be sent back to the factory without doing just that, and is it really worth doing so or should I just fish it till it breaks (probobly on a lifetime fish too with my luck)?

Jeff